Strength in Stoicism: Life’s difficulties can be overwhelming, but the wisdom of Stoicism encourages us to persevere and honor lost loved ones through our actions, as seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s experience after losing his wife.
Life can bring us immense pain, as seen through the struggles faced by great Stoic philosophers like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Despite their hardships, they chose to persevere and strive to embody the virtues of philosophy. Francis Ford Coppola, who lost his wife after 60 years, found comfort in a Marcus Aurelius quote about honoring lost loved ones. This serves as a powerful reminder that while we face heartache and difficulties, we can find strength in philosophy and the lessons of the Stoics, helping us to continue living meaningfully and honoring those we care about. Instead of succumbing to bitterness and despair, we can choose to honor our loved ones through our actions, striving to become better individuals even in the face of loss.
Living Their Virtues: Embodying the virtues of loved ones we've lost allows us to keep their spirit alive and transforms our grief into meaningful actions, fostering connection and purpose in our own lives.
When we lose someone we love, we cannot bring them back, but we can honor their memory by adopting their positive traits. By trying to be more like them, like being caring and supportive, we carry their spirit with us. This practice transforms our grief into meaningful actions that allow us to connect with others and spread kindness. Philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca remind us that, even in facing life's challenges, we have the power to cultivate grace and purpose. We can create a legacy for our loved ones through our behaviors, turning our sorrow into a source of strength and inspiration for ourselves and those around us. By doing small acts of kindness like reaching out to someone in need, we not only keep their memory alive but also enrich our own lives. Ultimately, living by their virtues helps us navigate life's struggles with a renewed sense of hope and direction.
Inner Strength: Anxiety arises from our mindset, not just our circumstances. Focusing on building strong character enables us to handle life's ups and downs better than hoping for good fortune.
Anxiety often stems from within us, not solely from external circumstances. Even in safe or prosperous times, if our mind is conditioned to panic, we will find reasons to worry. Rather than hoping for good luck, we should focus on building a strong character that can handle life's challenges. Each thought and action contributes to our character, making us resilient, so we must choose them wisely. Recognizing that our anxiety is often linked to our mindset can empower us to take control of how we respond to our emotions and situations instead of feeling overwhelmed by them. In essence, a strong inner character is more valuable than external success or fortune, enabling us to find peace and confidence regardless of our environment.
Inner Anxiety: Anxiety originates from within us, not from external situations. To feel calm, we must confront our internal issues rather than rely on external factors for happiness.
Anxiety often comes from within us rather than from external sources. We tend to blame situations like airports, pandemics, or even family for our feelings. However, it’s our racing thoughts and expectations that create anxiety. Even when life seems perfect, anxiety can still exist. Stoicism teaches us that true freedom and calmness come from addressing our internal struggles, rather than escaping to external comforts or achievements. No matter where we go or what we achieve, we cannot run away from our thoughts. Understanding that we, ourselves, are the constant variable in our emotional experience is crucial. To feel better, we must confront and work on our own issues instead of projecting them onto our surroundings, finding peace within ourselves even amid chaos.
Balance in Life: Finding balance through reflection reveals neglected areas of life. Embrace stoicism to handle challenges and success, making personal work essential for growth.
Finding balance in life often requires effort, especially when faced with both challenges and successes. Taking time to reflect can uncover neglected parts of our lives, prompting us to address them. Embracing stoicism means being prepared to handle whatever comes our way, whether it’s adversity or prosperity. By doing personal work now, we can better navigate future outcomes. Remember, every situation reveals something about us, and recognizing that helps us grow and improve.
Royal Realities: Royal families seem glamorous but often lead to significant sacrifices. 'Even the Royals' podcast spotlights the hidden struggles and dramatic stories behind famous royals, revealing that their lives are complex and often burdensome.
Being part of a royal family may appear glamorous, but it's often filled with sacrifices such as loss of freedom and privacy. The podcast 'Even the Royals' uncovers the shocking real lives of royals, like the notorious six wives of Henry VIII and Queen Christina of Sweden, who defied traditional gender roles and political expectations. Their stories reveal the struggles and complexities behind the crown, demonstrating that the lives of royals are far from fairy tales. From Esther of Burundi, who escaped to Paris and became a supermodel, to other remarkable royals with intriguing pasts, the podcast dives deep into how these figures have shaped history in unexpected ways. Each episode unveils the darker side of royalty, making it clear that being royal often comes with hidden burdens and dramatic tales, challenging the notion of a privileged life.
This Is What You Do | What Will Prosperity Reveal?
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Use This To Slay Stress | Ask DS
How do we get outside our heads when our stomach is twisting in knots and our heart is pumping out of our chests?
We create mementos, as the Stoics did, to remind ourselves of our philosophy and principles.
Ask DS:
- Why did Ryan decide to share his reflections and observations with the masses?
- How do we teach our children to build resilience?
- What are the alignments or distinctions between Buddhism and Stoicism?
🪙 We are the creators of our anxiety. Which means we can also be the ones to do something about it. Gain a powerful tool in your fight against anxiety and get the Daily Stoic Anxiety Coin today! https://store.dailystoic.com/
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Turn the Tables | Ryan Holiday Reflects on 10 Years of The Obstacle Is the Way
Today, the tables have turned as Ryan Holiday is interviewed by his research assistant, Billy Oppenheimer, to talk about the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Obstacle Is the Way. They discussed why Ryan felt it was important to update and expand the book, what stories and pieces of wisdom were necessary to add, and the experience as a writer of revisiting material you wrote 10 years ago. Ryan also touched on the evolving reception of Stoicism and how his perspectives and writing style have changed in the process, providing a deeper understanding of how life's obstacles present us an opportunity for virtue as much as victory.
Billy Oppenheimer is Ryan Holiday’s research assistant and the writer behind the newsletter, Six at 6 on Sunday. To read more of his work, check out his website billyoppenheimer.com.
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The Winds May Howl But…
As history repeats itself in new and unfamiliar forms, we will once again choose to stand firm, knowing that while the storm may be relentless, our resolve will always be stronger.
📚 Check out Mike Duncan’s books Storm Before the Storm and Hero of Two Worlds at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/
🎙️ Listen to Mike Duncan’s interview on the Daily Stoic | Apple Podcasts & Spotify
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What A Thing To Have Done! | How To Keep Calm In A Chaotic World
Most of our problems are not so urgent. The stakes are not so high. Yet we rush, we react emotionally. But how much more magnanimous and wise it would be to wait. To think. To calm down.
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In The Midst of Life We Are In Death | Practice Love
During the month of October in America, images of death are all around us as we celebrate Halloween—and while it’s a playful time of year, it’s also an opportunity to practice memento mori, a reminder to treat our time as a gift.
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The Obstacle Is the Way, 10 Years Later
A lot can change in 10 years, yet The Obstacle Is the Way remains the timeless formula for turning our toughest trials into our greatest triumphs.
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David Kessler on Finding Meaning in Grief and Practicing the Art of Memento Mori
In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” Death is inevitable for all of us and practicing the art of Memento Mori reminds us to live each day to the fullest and with virtue.
David Kessler, a grief and loss expert, joins Ryan today to talk about why a meaningful life comes from embracing rather than fearing death, how grief can shape our understanding and appreciation of life, the balance between grief and joy, and how losing his son changed everything he thought he knew about grief.
David’s personal experience with grief started very young, as a child witnessing a mass shooting while his mother was dying in a hospital. For most of his life, David has taught physicians, nurses, counselors, police, and first responders about the end of life, trauma, and grief. Even after years of studying grief and counseling those experiencing it, his life was turned upside down by the sudden death of his twenty-one-year-old son.
David co-authored two books with Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, including On Grief and Grieving, and after experiencing the death of his son, he updated her 5 stages of grief with a 6th stage: meaning.
📚 Grab signed copies of Finding Meaning and the Finding Meaning Workbook by David Kessler at The Painted Porch https://www.thepaintedporch.com/
Go to griefbook.com and follow David Kessler on Instagram and X | @IAmDavidKessler
📕 Our favorite translation of Seneca’s essays on grief and loss, Hardship and Happiness (The Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca) is available at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.com/
🪙 Designed with the intention of carrying them in your pocket, our Memento Mori Medallion is a literal and inescapable reminder that “you could leave life right now.”
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It’s Tempting To Tell Yourself This | All For One, One For All
We can flatter ourselves that we’re essential, that we’re one of the good guys, that we’re preventing things from being worse. But are we? Or is that just what we want to believe?
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Will You Meet Your Moment? | Ask DS
Destiny taps each of us on the shoulder, will we be able to answer? Will we have cultivated the skills and virtues necessary to answer well? That’s what philosophy is about—preparing you for whatever fortune has in store, big and small.
Ask DS:
What is the Stoic way to process and receive compliments?
What is Ryan’s advice to stop obsessing over what could go wrong?
How did the Stoics approach parenting and creating a generational impact?
🎙️ Listen to Francis Ford Coppola’s interview on the Daily Stoic | Apple Podcasts & Spotify
🎥 Watch Francis Ford Coppola’s interview on YouTube
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You Can Live Well Anywhere
If you need money and success to live well, then you’re vulnerable to things not going well.
💡 The Wealthy Stoic: A Daily Stoic Guide to Being Rich, Happy, and Free explores how stoic ideas can be applied to personal finance, wealth-building, financial mindset, and how it can help you overcome common financial obstacles and challenges
Get The Wealthy Stoic: A Daily Stoic Guide to Being Rich, Happy, and Free & all other Daily Stoic courses for FREE when you join Daily Stoic Life | dailystoic.com/life
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